Waitrose bans sale of energy drinks to children under the age of 16

The high-caffeine drinks have been branded "completely inappropriate" for youngsters

By Jenny Cook

Major UK supermarket Waitrose has decided to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under the age of 16.

The decision comes following research showing that UK youngsters are among the highest consumers of energy drinks in Europe, which has prompted concern over the impact of sugar and caffeine on children.

Waitrose called upon existing labelling guidelines, which require any soft drink with more than 150mg of caffeine per litre to carry a high-caffeine content warning, when reaching its final verdict on the matter. Although regulators have deemed energy drinks 'safe', the British Soft Drinks Association (BDSA) said they should not be marketed or promoted to under 16s.

Speaking to The BBC, Waitrose director of technical and corporate social responsibility Simon Moore said: "As a responsible retailer we want to sell these products in line with the labelling guidance."

He added: "These drinks carry advice stating that they are not recommended for children, so we're choosing to proactively act on that guidance, particularly given the widespread concerns which have been raised about these drinks when consumed by under 16s."

This comes after the campaign group Action on Sugar found that the typical serving sizes of energy drinks (500ml) were larger than any other sugary drink and as such were branded "completely inappropriate" for youngsters.

Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, who is famous for his campaigns against sugar, has also added his support to the ban using the hashtag #NotForChildren.

BDSA director general Gavin Partington stated that, in addition to manufacturers – for whom the body introduced a voluntary code of practice in 2010 – "retailers, schools and parents all have a role to play in educating children about caffeine and sugar consumption from all sources."